just a new beginning
by whatifellinlovewith
Summary: "She's grown to expect the red carpet and the cameras, and yet it still catches her off guard when Castle's hand snakes around her waist and draws her from the limo, her swollen stomach between them and the flashes already blinding her."


" **Every story has an end, but in life, every end is just a new beginning."**

* * *

"You look beautiful," he breathes from behind her.

She startles, her gaze darting up to catch his eyes in their reflection, her hand landing on her stomach. He steps closer to her, reaching out to band an arm around her waist, his palm landing over hers.

"Really?" she asks. "I don't look fat?"

He shakes his head slightly, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Not fat. Pregnant," he says. "And beautiful. You're glowing, Kate, and don't say it's sweat. It's not."

"It is," she argues. "Or makeup."

"Or just you, my beautiful, pregnant, glowing wife and muse."

It draws a laugh from her throat, has her bumping her head against his. "You're sappy tonight," she says.

"Nostalgic, too." He hums. "It's weird, that this is the last one."

"Yeah," she breathes. "It is."

* * *

She's grown to expect the red carpet and the cameras, and yet it still catches her off guard when Castle's hand snakes around her waist and draws her from the limo, her swollen stomach between them and the flashes already blinding her.

He tightens his hand at her side, leans in to dust a kiss to the side of her head, to brush his lips against the shell of her ear. "You okay?" he asks.

And she knows that if they were anywhere else, if they weren't standing right next to the limo, being stared down by a ton of reporters, he would flatten his palm over her belly.

But they are standing right next to the limo. And they are being stared down by a ton of reporters.

So she settles for this, letting herself sink against his side, her head falling to land on his shoulder.

"I'm fine," she whispers.

She is.

She's done this before, the cameras and the press. And she's survived it, even enjoyed it on the rare occasion when she had more fun dressing up and being happy with him than she expected. But she's never done this pregnant.

That's what he's really worried about.

Because he is so sweet, so caring, and she knows he would leave his own book launch party if she was uncomfortable, if she wanted to leave.

That's who he is.

And she loves him for it.

"I'm fine," she repeats. "But, uh, let's go. Before I get all emotional and start crying before the first question."

He chuckles, kissing her temple one last time, finally letting his hand smooth over her belly and the black fabric of her dress.

"Okay," he whispers.

His hand stays on her back when he leads her away from the limo, and down the red carpet.

* * *

They take a _lot_ of pictures.

Which is to be expected, of course. He is the author, after all.

But she spends most of the time, standing on the red carpet, against the white backdrop, wishing she could hide. Not for herself, but for her baby.

They've tried so hard to keep her pregnancy from being manipulated by the press. The last thing she wants is for it all to fall apart, seven months in.

Two month away from welcoming their little baby.

" _Can we get a kiss?"_

The question really should stop catching her off guard by now. It was asked even before they were together, when a relationship was nothing but speculation.

So now…it really should stop surprising her.

But it still has her shoulders going tense, and his arms tightening around her waist, drawing her closer, just enough for his words to reach her ear and nobody else.

"It's up to you."

She looks up at him, and nods her head slowly.

Because as much as she hates the idea of kissing him just for a picture, and as much as there will be other book launch parties, this is _their_ last book launch party.

Nikki Heat's last book launch party.

Besides, the smile that spreads across his face makes her insides warm with something that tells her she would be kissing him anyway.

He reaches up, and splays his palm over her swollen stomach, warm and almost possessive as he draws her impossibly closer. His other hand curls around her chin, tilting it upwards until her eyes are locked on his.

And _damn_ him and his ability to turn her into mush with the simplest of touches.

He dusts his lips over hers the first time, chaste and sweet, and then he presses more firmly. Still gentle, still loving, and closed-lipped for the cameras, but it has her melting beneath him, reaching up to rest her hands on his shoulders, to curl her fists around the fabric of his jacket.

They linger, just long enough for every photographer to snap a picture, before he pulls away, his thumb running along the line of her jaw.

"Hormones?" he whispers, so soft she barely hears it over the requests being screamed at her.

But it makes her grin, laughter bubbling up from her chest. "Raging," she answers.

"Keep them in check?" he requests, his grin mirroring hers.

She nods. "I'll try."

Him kissing her one last time before shifting to the next pose really doesn't help, though.

* * *

He catches her just as she exits the bathroom, bouncing up from where he was leaning against the wall, excitement mixing with worry in the depths of his eyes.

"You okay?" he asks once again.

She nods, and takes his hand when he reaches for her, squeezing his fingers gently. "I'm okay, babe," she promises. "You don't have to worry so much. It's just a party."

"Yeah, but I know you're not a fan of these things, and with the baby…" He trails off, his gaze falling to her stomach, a smile flirting with the corners of his lips. "Is Baby sitting on your bladder?"

She chuckles, and runs her free hand over the curve of her belly. "Nah. Baby's being good for now," she says. "The hormones on the other hand..."

"Are refusing to stay in check?"

She nods. "But don't worry. I'm sure they'll have me sobbing by the end of the night."

He laughs at that, even though he hates seeing her cry. Even though he's spent long nights holding her while she cried about everything and anything because of the hormones, the pain in his eyes evident.

"You know what's a sure-fire way to speed up the process?" he asks.

"What?"

"Interviews on the red carpet," he answers.

She groans, but finds herself stepping forward anyway. "Right," she mumbles.

"You don't have to, though."

She's a step ahead of him by now, finds herself turning back and forcing a smile. "I'll be fine, Rick," she tells him. "Might as well get it over with, right?"

* * *

"So, do you guys know the sex?"

The reporter offers them a fake smile as she points the mic at them once more, her bright blue eyes falling purposefully to her baby bump.

"Uh, no," answers Castle. "We decided to be surprised."

"Oh?" breathes the reporter. "Doesn't that make it a little harder to plan?"

She forces a smile, pressing her hand more firmly against his back to let him know that's going to answer this one. He squeezes her hip in response.

"Not really," she says. "We chose a gender neutral color scheme for the nursery, and stuck to mostly gender neutral clothing. And we've thought of names for both a boy and a girl. Besides that, it doesn't really change anything, does it?"

The reporter's shoulders sag. "No, I suppose it doesn't," she says. "But you guys have to have a preference, right? A little boy or a little girl?"

"We don't," he answers. It's immediate and tense, his grip on her hip tightening. "Boy or girl, we'll be overjoyed and love them to pieces."

She nods her agreement, leaning in to rest her head on his shoulder. "We already love the baby so much, and we don't even know if it's a boy or a girl. Either way, we'll be over the moon."

The reporter nods at that, glancing at the card in her hand. "Well then, congratulations, you guys," she says, the words tense, insincere. "On another note, how does it feel to be finished the Nikki Heat series?"

She leaves that one to Castle, sinking deeper into his embrace.

"It's the end of an era," he answers, "and it's definitely sad. Writing the Nikki Heat novels, and everything that it's brought into my life, including my beautiful wife and our growing family, has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Ending the series was one of the hardest decisions of my career, of my life, even."

"Then why did you do it?" asks the reporter.

He tightens his grip on her waist once more. "Because Nikki Heat is a fictional character, and I told her story the way I wanted it to be told," he says. "But I have something so much better than fiction. I have reality. The real Nikki Heat, as people call her. She's my wife, the incredible, kickass Captain Beckett, and we're having a baby and I couldn't ask for anything more."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing," he promises. "I'm married to the love of my life. I have a beautiful daughter. And now Kate and I our welcoming our first child. Nothing could compare to that."

The reporter nods, the smile that spreads across her face this time almost genuine. "That's great," she says. "And I think we're done here."

Castle nods, the jut of his chin pressing against the top of her head, and then whisks her away.

Not to the next interview, not to the crowded room full of people wanting to talk to him, but to a quiet hallway, dark and empty and she appreciates it so much it makes her whimper.

He swallows back a laugh, she's seen him do it a hundred times, before stepping away from her side so he's standing in front of her. His hands come up to frame her face, this thumbs wiping at her tears.

"Hormones?" he asks.

She smiles, nodding her head slowly, his hands still curled around her jaw. "You're sappy."

"Says the one who's crying." He chuckles.

She reaches over and swats at his chest, laughter bubbling from her chest, too. "This is _your_ child that's making me cry," she breathes. "I think the baby got its emotional side from you."

His smile widens, and he leans forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead. "I'm sure the baby did," he mumbles.

"He or she definitely did."

* * *

There are piles of books all over the place, and everyone is holding a glass of champagne.

Her feet are starting to get sore, her short heels and pregnancy an unforgiving mix. The baby has decided to start kicking, and as much as she loves it, it doesn't mix with standing and being social with people she barely knows.

It has part of her wanting to walk up to Castle and press his hand against her belly, see the awe that spreads across his face every time he gets to feel their little one move.

But he's in the middle of a conversation, so instead she walks up to one of the stands of books.

She swipes one off the bottom of the pile, one of the ones that are littered across the table, that's already been picked up and put back down. It ends up pressed against her chest ever so gently, the edges of the hardcover pressing against her belly, and the baby somehow manages to get a kick in right below the novel.

It draws a smile to her face as she steps away and goes to sit at the one of the booths edging the venue.

She's already read the book. He gave her the manuscript when it was finished, but there's no harm in reading the first chapter again.

Or so she thinks.

Because after skipping the pages of achievements that she's already read, her gave lands on the dedication, which he never lets her see in advance.

 _To my beautiful children_

 _and the love of my life, my wife, Kate_

 _who made this journey extraordinary._

And tears well in her eyes once again, her hand landing on her belly. She drops the book onto the table and forces herself to stand, walking off to the bathroom.

He comes in a few seconds later, apologizing to the other women before he enters, and comes up behind her where she's leaning against the sinks.

"Kate?" he asks. "Is the baby okay?"

She nods, her palm splaying across her belly once again as the other comes up to wipe at her eyes, smearing the tears across her cheeks.

"Yeah," she breathes. "I just…the dedication…wow."

And then she's wrapped in his arms, and his lips are pressed against the top of her head.

* * *

The party ends and for the first time since he first told her he was ending the Nikki Heat series, grief for the novels that brought them together wells in her chest.

Because now it's really over.

He comes up behind her, his arms folding around her waist, hands landing on the sides of her baby bump.

The baby is calm now, and she kind of misses the kicking.

"Can you believe it's over?" he asks. "Nine years of our lives–"

"Why did you end it?"

Her words come out shaky, almost weak with emotion and it's only then that her eyes are watering again, and she's not sure she can blame it on the hormones this time.

His arms slip from around her waist as he steps around her and he reaches for her again, his hand curling around the nape of her neck this time.

"You know why I ended the series, Kate," he whispers.

She nods, making his thumb rub at the base of her skull. "I know," she mumbles. "I just…their story isn't over. _Our_ story isn't over."

" _Oh_."

And then she's in his arms once again, her face crushed against his chest, her baby bump caught between them.

"Our story will never be over, Kate," he whispers, the words muffled in her hair. "We're starting a new chapter," he adds, and his hand comes up to rest on the curve of her belly. "A few new chapters, actually."

She nods, her forehead pressing hard against his shoulder. "I know," she mumbles, so softly she doubts he hears it until his grip on her tightens once again.

"But Kate, these new chapters, especially the baby, are between us. They're a part of our story that the world doesn't have to see," he continues. "The fact that other people aren't reading it doesn't mean the story's over."

"I know," she whimpers again.

He kisses her head once more, presses his hand harder against her belly, and the baby kicks beneath his palm.

"I could never do our story justice," he whispers. "You and me and everything we've been through? There are no words that can tell that story the way it deserves to be told."

She squeezes his middle gently. "You did an amazing job," she tells him. "Nobody could have done it better than you did."

"Nobody knows the story as well as you and I do," he says. "But still, even what I did do, Kate, didn't do us justice. I tried, and maybe I came close, but it was impossible."

"What does that have to do with ending the series now?"

"Because Kate, as much as I love our story, as extraordinary as it is, I felt like I could almost do it justice," he says. "Or, at the very least, I thought it was worth a try."

She draws away this time, her arms still wrapped around him. "And now?" she asks.

He smiles, and reaches up with the hand not caressing her baby bump to run his fingers along the line of her cheekbone.

"Now," he says, "I'm not stupid enough to think that I can put what we have on paper." His thumb swipes at the corner of her eye, smearing yet another tear. "Because loving you, being married to you, starting a family with you? Kate, there's no words to describe how lucky I am."

"You really are sappy today." She sniffles.

"All because of you," he breathes in response.

And then he leans over to press a kiss to her lips, gentle and loving, their baby still kicking beneath his palm.

When he pulls away, he rests his forehead against hers, a small smile curling at his lips.

"You gonna break down on me again?"

She smiles back at him. "With these hormones? Probably," she says, letting her hand fall do it rests over his. "You going to be there to comfort me?"

He kisses her again, pulling back slowly, with a smile and a gentle caress of her cheek.

"Always."

* * *

 **Happy Castle Fanfic Monday, all! And a huge thank you goes to Lindsey for being the most fab beta to ever beta.**


End file.
